The papers consist of correspondence, a commonplace book and an agreement for the purchase by Beckford of a house in Lisbon. The papers relate to Beckford's affairs in Jamaica and Portugal.
Papers of William Beckford, 1787-1811
This material is held atBodleian Library, University of Oxford
- Reference
- GB 161 MSS. Eng. lett. c. 499-501; Eng. misc. e. 1236; Portuguese c. 1
- Dates of Creation
- 1787-1811
- Language of Material
- English, and Portuguese.
- Physical Description
- 5 shelfmarks
Scope and Content
Administrative / Biographical History
William Beckford (1760-1844) was the author of the oriental tale Vathek and of several volumes of travel writings, the builder of Fonthill Abbey, and an important collector of paintings, objets d'art and books. Details are given in the Dictionary of National Biography.
Access Information
Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card (for admissions procedures see http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/specialcollections).
Acquisition Information
The papers were bequeathed to the Library by Boyd Alexander, 1980.
Note
Collection level description created by Emily Tarrant, Department of Special Collections and Western Manuscripts.
Other Finding Aids
A full description is available in the Library.
Custodial History
The papers were bought by Boyd Alexander in 1968 and 1975, except for MS. Eng. lett. c. 501, which was bequeathed by Charles Robin Hollway to Gerald Wellesley in 1921.